Random Brewing Thoughts

[TripleSixHoppia]

***SHAMELESS SELF PROMOTION***

We have a lacto and yeast blend coming out with Mainiacal yeast.

‎Justin Amaral‎ to Milk The Funk
9 mins ·
A tease of whats to come in the near future! An MTF collab microbe blend at my lab Mainiacal Yeast! This will be a pretty rugged blend in terms of temperature tolerance. It'll include 4 Kveik cultures and 2 Lactobacillus plantarum. It has a crazy temperature range of 60-105F. The higher the temp the quicker the turn around and more expressive the Kveik will be. In our trials of this its been straight sour pineapple juice at higher temps. The turn around for both souring and fermenting was 4 days. It was in the glass on the 5th day. This was at 95F. If fermenting colder you can expect a longer fermentation time upwards of 1-2 weeks on the lowest side. You'll also have a bit of a clean fermentation at lower temps. For those who don't have temp controls to increase the heat you can just rack out of the kettle around 105F or less, pitch and let it free fall.

In trials where we didn't drop the pH the pH dropped to 3.4 in those 4 days, the FG was 1.010 as well. In trials where we preacidified to 4.5 pH and pitched the culture we got down to a 3.2 pH in 3 days and a gravity of 1.009 in 4 days.

The Lacto in this blend is very intolerant of hops so if you plan to use any and want any souring I'd suggest dry hopping post souring.

The blends ratio will have 150 billion cells of Lacto and 75 billion of Kveik. Allowing the Lacto an advantage before the Kveik rips through it. This blend will also continue to sour a bit more if left to age and is also a great blend to chuck a Brett strain in post ferment/souring for a longer aged more complex sour. The Kveik tend to have little to no issues in lower cell counts. I would however suggest adding some yeast nutrient if you are planning to ferment 85F or above as Kveik tend to be a little more demanding at higher temps.

We are starting this blend in a couple tanks Friday and will update once we have a release date.

This blend is a thanks to MTF and MTF community for all the hard work done on both the research and recording of all of this data! Thanks all!

 

[TripleSixHoppia]

Friendly reminder to pull the post off your kegs and clean them. Waited way to long and one was GROSS.

 

[Saind]

Does anyone have tips for blending lambic into homebrew?

I just picked up 10 liters of old lambic from Girardin and I've got 20 liters of saison fermented with 3711 and Brett C and B that has finished fermenting.
I'm conflicted between just dumping in five liters of lambic, spending a bunch of time tasting (which is a bitch as I don't have that much beer to begin with) or kegging it and adding lambic directly to the keg and just keep adding it until I think it's enough.

 

[JCastle1]

Does anyone have tips for blending lambic into homebrew?

I just picked up 10 liters of old lambic from Girardin and I've got 20 liters of saison fermented with 3711 and Brett C and B that has finished fermenting.
I'm conflicted between just dumping in five liters of lambic, spending a bunch of time tasting (which is a bitch as I don't have that much beer to begin with) or kegging it and adding lambic directly to the keg and just keep adding it until I think it's enough.

I did it once years ago. I'm almost certain I posted on MTF about it but can't seem to find it. Same deal as you, a saison (no brett in my case) and blended a ratio of 1:5 with lambic. It was insanely sulphury for a while so I let it chill for a bit before bottling. It was pretty tasty, way less funky and way more refreshing than I expected. Got a very citrusy/green apple/floral flavor. I haven't had it in a while, I think I only have one bottle left.

 

[reverseapachemaster1]

Does anyone have tips for blending lambic into homebrew?

I just picked up 10 liters of old lambic from Girardin and I've got 20 liters of saison fermented with 3711 and Brett C and B that has finished fermenting.
I'm conflicted between just dumping in five liters of lambic, spending a bunch of time tasting (which is a bitch as I don't have that much beer to begin with) or kegging it and adding lambic directly to the keg and just keep adding it until I think it's enough.

Personally I wouldn't blend blindly and hope it works or committing to adding the lambic in the keg because if you overshoot you can't take it back out.

You should taste a few different blends to find what you like, especially if you intend to blend beers in the future. It's a process worth learning and you really only learn by doing it. You don't need to pull a lot of beer to sample or blend--just enough to taste the ratio. Start with a 25% lambic blend and see if you want to go up or down and work from there. If you don't pull too much for tasting you shouldn't end up using more than a pint.

 

[Saind]

Thanks for the tips! We settled on 20%

I'm guessing the character will change quite a bit after bottle conditioning but right now the lambic really works in there.


Unrelated: I should probably dump this right? Looks like mold on top of a 100% Brett C. Cider. I didn't boil it beforehand, just sanitized the carboy and dumped in 20 liters of cider and some yeast. Should I boil it next time? Smells delicious I just don't dare to drink it.

 

[TripleSixHoppia]

Anyone use Viking Malt? It's cheap AF on Morebeer https://www.morebeer.com/products/viking-pilsner-malt.html

 

[TripleSixHoppia]

Also, IDK why I never thought of making an easy CO2 transferring unit. I ferment in Sanke kegs a lot, and the orange caps fit perfect. I just bought the gas connect with the barb on Amazon. I already have everything else.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00V334SME/?tag=talkbecom09-20

 

[rcubed1]

Anyone use Viking Malt? It's cheap AF on Morebeer https://www.morebeer.com/products/viking-pilsner-malt.html

I was just looking at Viking malt a few minutes. We have a club member making a run to More Beer next weekend so I might give Viking a try.

 

[JCastle1]

I've been hearing about Italian pilsners lately but can't find much info. What makes a pilsner Italian? I've never had Luppolo or Tipopils so I have no idea what they taste like but I'm intrigued.

 

[rcubed1]

I've been hearing about Italian pilsners lately but can't find much info. What makes a pilsner Italian? I've never had Luppolo or Tipopils so I have no idea what they taste like but I'm intrigued.

I'm guessing they are a bit sweeter?

I'm more interested in New Zealand Pilsner myself.

 

[TripleSixHoppia]

I've been hearing about Italian pilsners lately but can't find much info. What makes a pilsner Italian? I've never had Luppolo or Tipopils so I have no idea what they taste like but I'm intrigued.

All I know about is Peroni which I crush to make eating at Olive Garden with my inlaws tolerable.

 

[JCastle1]

I'm guessing they are a bit sweeter?

I'm more interested in New Zealand Pilsner myself.

Sounds like it's dry based on this description:

Well it uses traditional European ingredients, is assertively dry hopped (for a Pilsner), & has a nice dry finish.

The difference is the hoppiness and dry-hop. I read that Pivo Pils is also based on Tipopils. So I guess it sounds like a Northern German pilsner but with dry-hop added.

What's a New Zealand pilsner now? I've made a pilsner before with NZ hops, would that count? Mostly Pacific Gem and Wakatu.

 

[rcubed1]

What's a New Zealand pilsner now? I've made a pilsner before with NZ hops, would that count? Mostly Pacific Gem and Wakatu.

Yes, a pils with NZ or Aussie hops, including all of our favorites.

 

[JCastle1]

Yes, a pils with NZ or Aussie hops, including all of our favorites.

I'll have to make that again soon.

 

[user 307594]

Yes, a pils with NZ or Aussie hops, including all of our favorites.

I have an all Galaxy hopped lager with rahr 2row and Weyermann Munich that's really tasty. Just brewed the same thing yesterday and subbed in Nelson for the Galaxy. Looking forward to seeing how that turns out. Not a Pils with the addition of the Munich, but the Australian/NZ hops seem to do well in a lager.

 

[Phischy1]

AHA put out some provisional styles, Including NZ Pils if you're into that kind of thing.

http://dev.bjcp.org/beer-styles/x5-new-zealand-pilsner/

 

[reverseapachemaster1]

AHA put out some provisional styles, Including NZ Pils if you're into that kind of thing.

http://dev.bjcp.org/beer-styles/x5-new-zealand-pilsner/

BJCP and AHA are two independent entities

 

[Rau711]

Anyone that uses WLP013 often? I got about 80% out of it, which is above the normal level, does that happen often?

 

[JCastle1]

Anyone have experience adding citrus juice (no zest/peel) to beer? The idea is to blend a bit of juice with finished beer to make a sort of radler-flavored thing but not quite radler strength.

 

[rcubed1]

Anyone have experience adding citrus juice (no zest/peel) to beer? The idea is to blend a bit of juice with finished beer to make a sort of radler-flavored thing but not quite radler strength.

I have not for beer but for soda water I bring it up over 180F for ~10 minutes. I would do the same if I made a radler and use an even finer filter to get out more pulp.

 

[TripleSixHoppia]

Anyone have experience adding citrus juice (no zest/peel) to beer? The idea is to blend a bit of juice with finished beer to make a sort of radler-flavored thing but not quite radler strength.

I do a beer I call Channel Orange that's a sour saison hopped with juicy hops and a bunch of Orange Juice. I use 32oz of organic OJ in 5 gallons. You can let it ferment out, but I usually take the sugar content of the bottle and subtract it from the total conditioning sugar and add it to the bottling bucket/keg and naturally carb as normal.

 

[JCastle1]

I do a beer I call Channel Orange that's a sour saison hopped with juicy hops and a bunch of Orange Juice. I use 32oz of organic OJ in 5 gallons. You can let it ferment out, but I usually take the sugar content of the bottle and subtract it from the total conditioning sugar and add it to the bottling bucket/keg and naturally carb as normal.

That's a lot of juice!

 

[TripleSixHoppia]

That's a lot of juice!

Cheaper than getting the same character from new world hops, also it adds in organic acids like citric and malic acid that aren't really found in beer fermentation. Also Plantarum will convert some of the malic acid to lactic.

 

[SirDickButts]

That's a lot of juice!

PFFFFT. I usually do 1-2 gallons of juice.
The last sour saison i brewed had 1.5 gallons of simply peach dry hopped on high AA saaz.

 

[TripleSixHoppia]

You should see how much puree these sour brewers are using. A lot of people are just buying sour fruit wines with malt in them. And that's not even talking about the people that add unfermented puree directly to the keg.

 

[jivex5k1]

You should see how much puree these sour brewers are using. A lot of people are just buying sour fruit wines with malt in them. And that's not even talking about the people that add unfermented puree directly to the keg.

It's so jammy tho!

 

[JCastle1]

You should see how much puree these sour brewers are using. A lot of people are just buying sour fruit wines with malt in them. And that's not even talking about the people that add unfermented puree directly to the keg.

I've only tried one (double cherry gose from The Veil) but it was kinda gross. Texture was super weird and it tasted kinda like slightly carbonated Sunsweet.

 

[reverseapachemaster1]

You should see how much puree these sour brewers are using. A lot of people are just buying sour fruit wines with malt in them. And that's not even talking about the people that add unfermented puree directly to the keg.

I just can't get into these arbor mist sours. Don't like the texture and don't like paying $30 for a bottle of carbonated, partially fermented fruit juice. I didn't like them when I started seeing brewers adding 2-3/lb fruit per gallon. Now it seems like a race to add more and more fruit. It's the same attitude of using a base beer as a foundation to add as much of something to it rather than trying to create an integrated beer. It's the west coast DIPA racing too max IBUs, NEIPA racing to multiple dry hoppings, BA stouts racing to add max adjuncts.

I know they sell and sell for a premium so I know they aren't going away. I just tend to avoid buying fruited sours. More for the people who enjoy them.

To keep this on the brewing subject: I don't fruit my sour beers too much anymore but when I do I usually keep it to 12-16oz/gallon. If the base beer pairs well with the fruit then it's enough fruit to create a complex and integrated beer.

 

[coldcrash1]

Anybody here using sanke kegs for primary fermentation?

Soon time to replace my janky big mouth bubblers, and I’m seriously considering this option as it seems like a pretty cheap way to ferment in stainless.

Looks like a brand new 1/4 barrel keg is around $100 online, plus $80 for the spear removal tool.

Any experience out there w this? Wanna talk me into/ out of it?